The present invention relates to physiotherapy, and more particularly to apparatus for mechanically exercising the muscles and joints of a patient's body.
Machines and other devices for manipulating the limbs of bedridden and otherwise physically impaired patients are known. For example, U.S Pat. No. 2,183,265 to Maloney discloses a rope having a sling at one end and a hand grip on the other, the rope being movably supported by a ceiling-mounted pulley for raising a patient's legs when the patient pulls downwardly on the hand grip, a releasable catch holding the legs in an elevated position. U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,582 to Bensfield discloses a portable adjustable manipulating apparatus, the apparatus including a U-shaped frame disposed on its side, a standard projecting up from one end of the carriage, and an arm projecting horizontally from the upper end of the standard for overlying the carriage. The carriage can be inserted beneath a bed so that the standard projects upwardly at an edge or end of the bed, thus positioning the arm over the bed. The carriage includes motor which operates a crank at variable speeds. A sling for holding a patient's limb is attached to a line which is operated by the crank. Adjustable and traveling blocks vertically movable within the standard provide an adjustable stroke of the line. U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,898 to Underwood discloses a therapeutic apparatus including an exercise bar supported above a bed by a block and tackle assembly. The block and tackle assembly is connected with a motor for reciprocating the bar vertically. The bar is also supported and optionally driven for angular displacements about a generally vertical axis. U.S. patent No. 3,693,614 to Schon patent discloses an exercise apparatus including a support beam attached to the frame of a patient's bed by a vertical post. A motor driven pedal device is adjustably affixed to the beam, the pedal device having a pair of crank arms attached to opposite ends of a drive spindle, outwardly extending pedal rods being attached to the free end of each crank arm. The apparatus includes a pair of support plates designed to be affixed to the patient's shoes and another pair of support plates designed to be affixed to gloves for the patient's hands. The patient's hands or feet can be thus attached to the pedal device by slipping the tubular portion of the support plates over the pedal rods. An upwardly extending leg supports a pair of extension springs that biasingly support corresponding leg straps. U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,865 to Pogue discloses an apparatus for exercising a limb of a supine user, including a housing, a movable member on the housing for engaging an extremity of the limb, and a drive mechanism on the housing for reciprocating and/or oscillating the movable member on an adjustably inclined axis for exercising the user's limb in a generally horizontal, longitudinal direction.
These and other prior art devices are subject to one or more of the following disadvantages:
1. They are so bulky and unwieldy that they are impractical for use in confined spaces that are typically available at hospital and home bed locations, especially in view of other equipment that is likely to be needed for the patient;
2. They are limited in application in that they are capable of movement in a single direction only, at a fixed speed, and/or through an unchangeable distance; and
3. They are mechanically cumbersome and complicated, being difficult to use and expensive to produce.
Thus there is a need for a device for manipulating the limbs of patients that may be bedridden or otherwise physically impaired, that overcomes the above disadvantages.